Kandahar Attack on truck
According to witnesses, the blast ripped through a truck parked opposite a military base in the centre of the city at around 8am Irish time.
A smaller device had exploded 20 minutes earlier about 100m away without causing casualties. An Afghan commando unit working with US forces to hunt down Taliban and al-Qaeda militants was based at the army barracks.
Witnesses said the second blast tore through a crowd of onlookers which had gathered after the first explosion. Most of the casualties were curious children who had come from a nearby school.
Witnesses saw bodies and injured people on the ground close to the damaged truck.
Kandahar is the former stronghold of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban, which has declared a jihad or holy war on foreign and government troops and aid workers.
